In recent computerization of vehicles, various types of controls are applied to a power seat for a vehicle in which an attitude and a position of a seat are electrically changed. For example, reclining angles of a seatback, lifted or lowered positions of a seat, positions of the seat in a fore and aft direction, and angles of a seat surface are electrically adjustable in known power seats. JPH05-77679A and JPH09-142186A disclose switches for vehicles to operate such known power seats.
Generally, a switch for operating a power seat is provided at a lower position than a seat surface. Thus, according to a structure of the generally known power seat, an occupant has to grope the switch to operate it without visually confirming the position of the switch. In order to countermeasure the aforementioned problem, according to the known power seat disclosed in JPH05-77679A and JPH09-142186A, an image of a switch portion is displayed on a screen when an occupant contacts the switch for operating the power seat. Further, by displaying each of the switches that is in operation (the switch which the occupant came in contact with) with emphasis on the screen, the known power seat disclosed in JPH05-77679A and JPH09-142186A enables the occupant to visually confirm the position of the switches and to securely operate the switches without operating the switch by groping.
The known power seat disclosed in JPH05-77679A and JPH09-142186A excel in enabling the occupant to visually confirm the position of the switches for operating the power seat. However, according to the construction of the power seat disclosed in JPH05-77679A and JPH09-142186A, the occupant still has to grope a switch until he/she comes in contact with a desired switch. Thus, there are possibilities that the occupant has to move his/her fingers to another switch in a case where he/she found out he/she touched a wrong switch when the touched switch is displayed on the screen. Further, because the switch is actually operated by a feeling of the occupant even after the touched switch is shown on the screen, it becomes difficult to properly adjust the position of the seat in accordance with an intention of the occupant when the number of adjusting directions of the power seat is increased even if the touched switch is visually confirmed on the screen. A seat position is relatively readily adjustable with a known practically implemented power seat in which the power seat is adjustable in a relatively small number of directions (e.g., 4-6). However, in recent years, a power seat having adjustable positions in a large number of directions (e.g., 10-20, or over 20) is about to be practically implemented. Accordingly, a power seat for a vehicle which further excels in visibility and operability is desired.
A need thus exists for a power seat system for a vehicle which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.